The urgency of protecting educational data

Key points:

When considering industries such as finance or healthcare, the possibility of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands is a common concern. These sectors are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the financial and personal information they store. But there is another critical area that is often overlooked in these discussions: education.

Our educational institutions, from primary schools to universities, are not immune to the growing threat of cybercrime. They collect a lot of personally identifiable information (PII), such as contact details, health data, and Social Security numbers. For many K-12 students, this represents an early introduction to the risks of digital data collection and, unfortunately, cybercrime. Schools across the United States are already seeing an increase in cyber threats, making it clear that protecting student data should be a top priority.

Identity Theft Starts Before Graduation

The frequency of data breaches in the education sector increased in 2023compromising the private information of students, parents and educators. This highlights a major vulnerability: while schools are increasingly relying on digital tools and platforms to enhance learning, many lack robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive data.

Parents provide schools with confidential information about their children at the beginning of each school year, such as immunization records and medical histories. This creates an opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit students' personal data. For example, in 2023, the MOVEit ransomware attack affected more than 800 educational organizations, compromising the personal information of almost 1.7 million people. Children are particularly vulnerable to identity theft because they rarely monitor their credit, making them prime targets for long-term fraud.

According a Sophos report80 percent of K-12 schools and 79 percent of higher education institutions in the US were affected by ransomware attacks in 2022, a sharp increase from previous years. These incidents highlight the growing threat to educational institutions, where cyber attacks often exploit system vulnerabilities, putting student and staff data at serious risk.

Misunderstandings of the motivations of cybercrime

Despite the alarming rise in attacks, many have become worryingly apathetic. Social media is flooded with comments such as: “When will hackers pay my debts if they are already in the system?”, a sentiment that reflects the growing indifference towards the constant threat of cybercrime.

This attitude arises from a misunderstanding of the motives of cybercriminals. It's critical to remember that hackers and ransomware attackers are not pranksters: they are financially motivated opportunists seeking to exploit vulnerabilities, steal data, and hold systems for ransom. This knowledge should fuel our vigilance and caution against cyber threats.

Historically, education was not a primary goal, but that has changed. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting schools and universities as lucrative targets. As this threat grows, protecting data in educational institutions must become a higher priority.

Steps to prevent data theft in education

Weak cybersecurity measures have made educational institutions attractive targets for cybercriminals. Data of the Sophos State of Education Report 2024 revealed that 85 percent of ransomware attacks on K-12 schools and 77 percent at higher education institutions involved data encryption. The financial cost has been significant: the cost of recovering from the attacks doubled for K-12 schools and quadrupled for universities.

A key issue is that educational institutions are often slow to disclose data breaches. For example, Only 29% of K-12 schools publicly disclose cyberattacks.although the actual number of incidents is likely to be higher. This lack of transparency significantly increases risks, as people may remain unaware that their personal information has been compromised for an extended period, making it more difficult to prevent further misuse of stolen data.

Cybercriminals continue to attack educational institutions and current security protocols are insufficient. While perfect security may be impossible, schools can take steps to improve data protection.

Prioritize data protection in education

To better defend against cyber threats, the education sector must prioritize investing in comprehensive data protection solutions. Encryption and tokenization are two powerful techniques that can help protect student and teacher data by making it useless without proper decryption keys. Even if attackers breach a system, encrypted data remains inaccessible.

Schools must also adopt transparent cybersecurity policies. It is essential to work with third-party providers to ensure that all digital tools and platforms meet strict security standards. Additionally, promoting cybersecurity awareness among parents, educators, and students can reduce the risk of human error, such as falling for phishing scams.

Conclusion

While the education sector is often overlooked in discussions about data security, it is undeniably a high-value target in today's threat landscape. Protecting all data is important, but safeguarding the personal information of young students is especially critical. By investing in the right data protection technologies and fostering a culture of cybersecurity, schools can improve their defenses and protect the future of both students and educators.

Now is the time to act before cybercriminals strike with even greater force. The safety of our children and teachers depends on it.